Salumeria Ovello has become one of those places I look forward to having all week long. The smell…read moreof fresh warm focaccia coming out of the oven, simple ingredients that actually taste fresh, and sandwiches that somehow feel both light and deeply satisfying at the same time. Simple ingredients done really well; fresh meats, crisp vegetables, soft bread straight from the oven. It's the kind of lunch that reminds you how good simple food can be when the ingredients are quality. The owner and staff always seem genuinely happy to be there, and it gives the whole place such a warm and welcoming feeling. They also have little Italian drinks, snacks, and specialty goodies that make it fun to grab something extra alongside your lunch. It's a smaller little shop, so I recommend taking your sandwich to go and eating over at the Sonoma Plaza. Such a special little spot in Sonoma.

I was doing a day of exploration in Sonoma --- mainly the missions --- and arrived somewhere…read morein-and-around Vallejo House. As I was heading back to the square (where there is an abundance of restaurants), I didn't want the busyness of the scene; thankfully, I got on Instagram, typed "good eats in Sonoma", and BAM! Salumeria Ovello popped up on my feed, and thank goodness it did! An easy 4-minute walk from Vallejo House, Salumeria Ovello is owned by Andrea, who is a Michelin-star chef from the area of Piedmont, Italy. Having been to Italy twice this past year alone, I remember quite well the quality and taste of the classed Italian Sandwiches. The worker who served at the counter was very helpful, and within the restaurant --- there are just a few seats. I'd say, 3 tables with two seats at each table. For my food, I decided to order the Massimo --- which is on "sliced Focaccia, and has sun dried tomatoes, stracciatella di burrata, prosciutto cotto, basil pesto and crumbled taralli (crackers)". Each sandwich is made fresh-to-order, and you can taste the quality. Each ingredient worked together in harmony, and to satisfy the americani in me, I definitely enjoyed the taralli in the sandwich --- reminded me of putting chips in my sandwiches in school. While I waited, Andrea also brought out some slices of salami for me to try --- free of charge, which was very kind of him to do. All in all, if you want to get away from the busyness of the Mission Square, take a 4-minute walk to Salumeria Ovello, and you'll find a little piece of Italy in Sonoma! Ciao tutti!

Best Sandwiches in Sonoma…read more Fresh meats and bread My go to whenever I am around!! Highly recommend the pastrami and Roast Beef

Yesterday was my first time coming here. It was absolutely amazing. Place is small but mighty…read more Place gets filled up pretty quickly. Fast service. Amazing sando's. Fresh and tasty. Fair prices. They do not skimp! I love how they have samples of beef jerky for you to try. Definitely will come back and purchase their homemade beef jerky. One thing I'm not a fan of, would be the mustard garlic sauce. It was okay.. but maybe I'm not a fan of mustard?? Overall, I would definitely come back! Love it here!!! Very convenient. Fast service. Fresh and great quality! Highly recommend to any visitors, tourist, wine drinkers, or Bay Area local natives!

There is a reason why this place has won best sandwich in Sonoma for the last ten years…read more We are tourists, we came here TWICE for lunch but I wouldn't have minded if we also came for breakfast and dinner hahahaha. You go all the way back to the deli, grab a paper and pen and fill out the sheet on how you want your sandwich. Then place it on the counter and they stick it in line. Sandwiches take a few minutes especially if you want it hot or toasted. If you want a burrito or some special not on the paper, just announce it to them and they'll make a paper and put it in line. They put a ton of meat of the sandwiches. We were very pleased. I went with the cucumber which was 0.50 extra so my sandwich was $15.99. My husband got the pesto which is also an extra charge. They forgot the pesto but we took the sandwich to go, so we didn't realize that. The next time we got lunch, I had the burrito and it needed salsa or hot sauce. Luckily, we ate outside in the covered seating area and I was able to go back in to get hot sauce AND the pesto sauce they forgot a second time. What is it about the pesto that they forget? They offered to remake the sando but I said no just gimme a side. Apparently there is hot sauce by the microwave FYI. The store has all kinds of drinks and snacks. We grabbed two small bags of chips. They also have premade meals for lunch dinner and even breakfast. Everything looked so good. If I lived there, I would shop all the time. They have a butcher shop as well. There is a small bathroom around the back for customers. And a sink in the covered eating area to wash your hands. Parking is along the street or their little lot. Check this place out. It's not fancy. But is sure is good.

A great place for lunch or snack on the way between Sonoma County and Napa!…read moreIt offers A WIDE VARIETY of items! It is a market, beer & wine grocer, deli, candy counter, and Convienence Store all in one! Helpful and friendly staff. Super wide variety of drinks and chips. Excellent quality sandwiches! Wide variety of hot and cold sandwiches. Reasonably priced. Convienent location. Great ambiance!

To get your farmers market level of local products any day of the week, go to Sonoma Market. This…read moreis where you find everything you need for the perfect picnic or dinner featuring hyper-local everything! Don't feel like packing a picnic or prepping or cooking? Good thing Sonoma Market is known for their sandwiches and deli and fresh prepared meals. You'll find a really fun selection of local cheeses, condiments, produce, and baked goods that bigger grocery stores don't carry. You'll spend a little more, but the shopping experience is more curated and atmospheric, and the products speak for themselves. I stopped in recently while on a short trip to Sonoma, specifically for salsa, some kind of dip or spread for crackers, and a cheese or two. I spent awhile browsing because that's the best part, and left with exactly what I needed (proud and amazed I stuck to my budget haha). I bought a fantastic bleu cheese, brie, a cantina style salsa, and this whipped, layered, tomato-basil dip made of ground almonds, avocado, sour cream, tomatoes, and herbs. Kind of a lot going on, but it was so good. It's always fun to see what you'll find here. Like a locally made gluten free apple pie, the perfect bouquet of flowers, or a freshly baked loaf of sourdough.

The management response is tone deaf to the facts laid out in my reviews. It's not a one time…read moresituation, it's serial failure that needs a review of your process. A commitment to better food. The store could sell so much more food than it does, they have no idea. But people want quality food at the hot bar not what they have there now. Overall, the store is pretty good but they're hot food display is an absolute embarrassment for the store. It's always old picked over food or just empty. If you come in here at five 5 o'clock or after, it's always a disgusting display. Very sad to see.

We needed a little lunch to hold us over after arriving in Sonoma and this spot was right next to…read morethe coffee shop we were checking out. Plenty of parking available in the shared lot outside this venue. The interior of the space is large with plenty of seating for small to medium groups! We decided to enjoy our sandwiches outside on their small patio. The staff were friendly during our visit. Great serving size for the sandwich and so many options! Soups and salads were also options! Overall a great spot to grab a quick bite or a sandwich to go. A bit classier than your other fast food sandwich spots.

Mah. I ordered a turkey sandwich with everything, including the special sauce. Something in the…read moresandwich had a weird taste. I'm assuming it was the sauce. The staff were friendly and quick, but I probably won't return.

I was wandering around the town square in Sonona, craving a good sandwich, and I remembered many…read moreyears ago there was a really good deli nearby. Couldn't find it anymore...seems like there's been a lot of business turnover in that area - I'm sure at least in part due to high rent...but happened to see "Sandwiches" on the awning in front of Sonoma Cheese Factory. Didn't look it up, took a chance and went for it. From the moment you enter, such friendly folks greet you and point you to the menu and where to go when you're ready to order. So much to choose from, but I went the easy route and ordered the "Smoked Turkey". Expected a basic turkey sandwich with the usual trimmings, and wow did it ever exceed those expectations. The sliced turkey was melt-in-your mouth moist, tender, and delicious. The tomatoes, the greens, the mild spread added at just the right amount to make the flavors pop. Then with the bread - the way it was lightly grilled to make the cheese melt perfectly...made it warm with a slight crunch on the outside, through the melty cheese to the cooler turkey, tomatoes and other trimmings on the inside. Honestly, one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. It filled me up perfectly but I didn't want it to be done. Sat there thinking of my favorite uncle growing up in Texas, who, when he ate something really good, would say "well my belly's full but my taster is still hungry". :) It was that good. And again, the sandwich, accompanied by the awesome/friendly service, made the whole experience so good. Will make it a regular stop in my future trips to Sonoma. I'm a sucker for good BBQ and according to a neighboring business owner, you can't go wrong with the brisket sandwich. Yum.

It's been so long ago and far away in my memory from the first time that I visited history downtown…read moreSonoma and encountered the Cheese Factory. I'm so glad that they survived the Pandemic and are thriving in the middle of the 2020's. My lifelong love of cheese is legendary in my own mind. It's been a struggle to get used to having to leave cow's milk dairy cheese out of my diet. While I have been sampling and finding some plant-based cheeses to love these last few years, I'm also grateful that I can tolerate and enjoy goat and sheep milk's cheeses. Despite some reviews for the Cheese Factory indicating that they would have plant-based / vegan cheeses (at least a few), that wasn't the case the day we recently visited. Dear Hubby and I were able to amass a small collection of goat and sheep cheeses, plus a few other accoutrements to go toward a charcuterie board. Mind you, these specialty cheeses do not come cheap! Many are priced at between $35 and $45/pound. They tend to be rich and full-bodied, so a smallish amount is satisfying, especially when complimented by crackers, cured meats, and fruits. Our niece made an amazing charcuterie board assortment for those of us who have to avoid standard dairy cheeses, and it was beautiful, delicious, and very satisfying. Back to the experience at the Factory. This is most certainly a historic building, and very long-standing business. It's also very popular. It's a little rough around the edges as far as cleanliness. The front sitting area, in particular, looks like it could use either a re-do, or a serious cleaning. Sometimes "rustic" works, and sometimes it can use a bit of freshening. We got good service, and helpful advice when it was time to pick cheese. The check stand area for paying for our cheese, crackers, and salami, plus ordering gelato and coffee drinks, was on the chaotic side. A lot of patrons were milling around to be called for their orders and the flow didn't work very well. I appreciated Dear Hubby dealing with that part while I saved us a spot in the seating area nearby and nursed my aching back. Not feeling great physically may have colored some of my appreciation of the "rustic charm" factor. We later moved to the long counter area by the front window, sitting and people watching folks passing by on the plaza. There's a lot to experience when visiting Sonoma Cheese Factory.

I love this place! Very close to the Sonoma Square or Buena…read moreVista winery! Great service from Abby, The breakfast burrito was unique cooked on a panini machine' coffee also delicious, I stop by here every once in a while when touring Sonoma side. Happy to recommend Cheers Andre/Executive car Service Napa Valley

We stopped into Sonoma's Best in search of a reprieve and nourishment during our bike ride tour of…read moreSonoma. The bike tour company recommended this place. We found a delicious jambon et beurre sandwich, fruit cup and iced mocha. Oh and a lemon poppy seed scone which was to die for. We took our treasures to the back patio where we were able to sit and relax a bit in the shade while enjoying our treats. Next time we will try some local wine and a grilled cheese sandwich. Wished this place was on our way out of town so we could grab another coffee and pastry in the morning. But maybe next trip!

Lou's Luncheonette in Sonoma, CA, on Highway 12…read more I haven't been back since they revamped Fremont Diner to Lou's Luncheonette. Luved the fried chicken back in the ole Fremont Diner days. Fast forward to present day, I recently got myself to Lou's for lunch. The fried chicken plate is gone off the menu. Instead it is a more concise menu focused on single items versus full entree plates. Casual eats and counter service. Darn cute small diner feel inside. Modern retro country diner aesthetics. The menu focuses on hamburgers (starting at $8), hot dogs ($7+), sides, chicken sandwiches including chicken 'n biscuits ($6), milkshakes, floats, craft beer, ciders, and wine. I studied this menu to figure out what the closest thing to fried chicken would be. I landed on ordering the #1 Chicken biscuit. It's fried chicken, honey butter, and hot sauce on a buttermilk biscuit. Whoa Nelly, that was darn delicious. The fried chicken was boneless light meat. Thick cut with the meat so extremely moist n tender. Crunchy fried and flavorful exterior, seasoned well. Such a satisfying audible crunch. Just like I remembered. I could taste the light touches of hot sauce in the crust. Then that biscuit. Mmm. Heavenly. Crunchy top and bottom with fluffy innards. Each bite was fabulous. You know when you eat something so darn delicious, the noise of the world just fades away. I had a food moment. To top that, it was only $6. Not a bad price compared to the size. Another notable thing to point out are the goats. At the back fence ,of the outdoor seating area, look for the old candy dispenser. Instead of being filled with candy, it's filled with goat feed pellets. Put in a quarter, turn the handle to get the pellets to feed the goats. Let me tell ya, once the goats hear the clicking from that knob being turned.... they all come a running and clamoring towards you. Watch out for the more smarter and aggressive ones that muscle the others to get the primo spot to stick their heads through the fence. Remember they can jump so don't stick your head over the fence unless you want a head bump. I chickened out and didn't hand feed them, instead I tossed the pellets over the fence.

Love this place!!!! The chicken sando is the best in Sonoma. It was huge, juicy, and hit just…read moreright. The fries are big enough to share with another person. My wife got the burger and said it was great. Not dry and added the pimento cheese. Service was fine. You order at the counter, and grab a seat. Nothing special, but I wasn't expecting white glove service at this place. It's part of the charm. The patio outside is wonderful. Allows you to share the Sonoma sun with the grape vines surrounding the place. The one thing I would suggest is adding some cocktails. Went in a Sunday, and a Bloody Mary or French 75 would have hit the spot. Overall will be coming back.